Despite having gained international notoriety for his dance steps, former South Carolina tight end Hart Turner was unable to make the one move that would have prevented his summer from ruin.

In a late May practice with NFL Europe's Cologne (Germany) Centurions, Turner was one of several volunteers who simply stood in a spot on the field while the kickoff coverage unit practiced its routes around them.

Then, without notice from the coaching staff, the kicking unit squibbed an onside kick.

A player tripped on the football, and his helmet plunged into the 2000 Dorman graduate's right knee.

Turner's medial collateral ligament was partially torn, abruptly ending his chances of competing at one of the NFL training camps opening throughout the next two weeks.

"It was a screwed up play," Turner said.

Unlike many of the developmental league's players, whom NFL teams allocated, Turner (6-foot-5, 247 pounds) went to Cologne with the goal of earning a training-camp invite.

After spending chunks of his rookie pro season on the Miami Dolphins' practice squad, he was chosen in the seventh round of the NFL Europe free agent draft.

In seven games, he caught five passes for 42 yards as the Centurions' part-time starter before the injury wiped out his season three games shy of the playoffs.

Turner, regarded as a prankster by several USC teammates, received some publicity in the fourth game of the season thanks to his pre-game introduction.

As he walked toward the entry tunnel, Turner reportedly began doing a Michael Jackson hand snap, then followed with Jackson's patented leg kick.

He told the league's Web site that if he hadn't been wearing cleats, he would have moon-walked.

"There are lots of variations you can do when it comes to Michael Jackson," Turner said.

Based solely on his on-field performance in NFL Europe, Turner had been contacted by Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Chicago about tryouts.

Those, however, disappeared with the injury.

Turner spent two months rehabilitating in Birmingham, Ala., during which Houston inquired about a tryout -- only he couldn't gain medical clearance.

He has returned to Columbia to train and was cleared Friday to begin progressing toward running.

Houston and Tennessee have stayed in contact, and Turner hopes he'll get a call as an injury replacement as the preseason or season progresses.

The worst-case scenario, he said, is he winds up back in NFL Europe next summer for an encore presentation, sans a white glove.

"Lots of times you don't get another shot," Turner said. "But hopefully I will."